Python patrol pup

Python-Tracking Puppy Trains to Patrol Everglades

Apparently the newest ecological threat from introduced species in the U.S. is pet pythons people have released in the Everglades. Ack! What makes anybody think that would be okay? Pythons have no natural predators here. They're just loose in an all-you-can-crush possum and bird buffet.

But now park officials have begun training a beagle to track the snakes in the swamp. He works for the opportunity to play with his stuffed animals. Rock on, Python Pete!

Friday update, mostly teaching

It's been something of a taxing week, teaching. One of my classes has a couple of students who are operating at emotional levels much younger than their chronological years, and it stirs everything up and pretty much brings the whole class (most of whom are wonderful) down to their level. I've been lucky enough so far in my ESL career to have had to deal with almost no behavioral problems, but I guess I have to learn sometime. It just didn't occur to me that I'd ever be having to keep students after class to give them a talking to, or even, especially, reprimanding them in front of the other students. (My public ire is reserved for instances of intolerance and cruelty toward the other students in the class.)

So yeah. I just wish all my students would respect each other, respect me, take responsibility for their own part in their education, and understand that every second of life doesn't have to be "fun." Oh, and not come to class drunk. That would be great.

I got up early this morning and baked a can of those cinnamon danishes with the orange icing, so I could bring my 8:00 beginners something warm and sweet. They're always complaining that they're hungry; half of them don't eat breakfast. The gesture and the danishes were well received; one student said it was a party, and another ran home to his apartment to get a 2-liter of peach Slice he had in the fridge. Aw.

In the next class (the difficult one) I was showing a travel program from the Food Network, as a listening exercise. I know from past experience that showing food before lunch makes students groan with hunger, so I brought cut-up pieces of soft fresh pita and a container of garlicky hummus for afterwards. After the week we had, I figured we all needed something fun and delicious to end with. Unfortunately, their 8:00 teacher had spontaneously decided to hold class at Denny's, so by the time my class rolled around, everyone was still stuffed. The snacks went virtually untouched. Sigh. Oh well.

It was a very pretty day, and although I was tired I figured I'd better take advantage of the sunshine, because for the past few weeks we've been having lovely Fridays followed by dreary, rainy weekends. In the afternoon I went walking by the creek on campus and saw lots of little wild flowers, a squirrel with only half a tail, and another squirrel being chased on the ground by a crow.

This weekend I have students' journals to grade, and if the weather is okay I'll probably do something with my container garden on the balcony. Last weekend I started a new compost bin with some of the worms from the first one.

I'm a sucker for astronomy news

Yahoo! News - Monster star burst was brighter than full Moon

Neato! Also, today is the 75th anniversary of the discovery of Pluto by Clyde Tombaugh, from Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. He was carrying on the work of Percival Lowell (note the first two letters in the name of the planet) who had died 14 years earlier. Lowell and other astromathematicians knew there must be something out there pulling on Neptune, making its orbit wonky, but they thought "Planet X" would be much bigger. As it turned out, they had slightly miscalculated the mass of Uranus, and Planet X turned out to be cute little asteroid-like Pluto.

For an easy-to-digest history of Pluto, check out the lyrics of "Planet X," a song by one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Christine Lavin.

Valentine's Day pastrymmmm

At school, we decided to have a Valentine's Day/building warming party tomorrow. I seized the opportunity to bake a cake. Here's a picture:



It's two layers of dark chocolate cake with strawberry jam in between and on top, frosted with a mixture of whipped cream and partially-set red Jell-o, which firmed up when I chilled the cake. On top I made a heart with mini chocolate chips and filled it with slices of strawberry, which also look like hearts if you cut them right. We'll see how it actually tastes. (In the picture, you can also see my stacks of papers and the way I applied the chocolate chips to the top of the cake. My fingers alone weren't precise enough with such tiny chips.) I'm taking white grape juice and club soda to mix as "champagne."

I also made a bunch of origami hearts. They're cute and fun, but it took me awhile to figure out the diagrams. They'll be nice for decorating the food table.

In the end we'll prob'ly win

Good vs. Bad (a play by Allie)

CAST OF CHARACTERS:



NARRATOR: First they were all playing. But then, one got aggravated. Lion wanted to drink out of the well, but Seal wanted to drink out of the ocean. It was a bad fight. Lion called Seal stupid, Seal called Lion weird. It was a bad argument. Then one day, they all became enemies.

Purple monkey: bad. Moose: bad. Lion: bad. (play themes on piano)

Seal, Elephant, Bear, and Monkey were good.

Then they started the battle. Things got ugly. They never knew they would become enemies. It was a bad fight. It was almost like war, but more violent.

ELEPHANT: (cries) I want my mama. I wish my mom was here. They're all trying to kill each other. I want my daddy and mama.

BEAR: Hush hush, Elephant. I know it's harsh, but in the end we'll probly win. Good vs bad? Every movie, the good wins.

ELEPHANT: They do?

BEAR: Yes, they do. But that doesn't mean it could happen in real life.

ELEPHANT: (cries) I want my mama.

SEAL: It's okay. I know how it feels to not have a mom. Mine died in a boat wreck. She was swimming and she crashed into a boat. I wish my mom was alive. (Said seal. He cried too.)

MONKEY: It's okay, I know how it feels. My dad died. It's hard. It's really hard. (Said Monkey.)

PURPLEMONKEY: Moo hoo hooohoo. It's funny watching what you call Good act. Hahahahaha (laughed Purple Monkey)

MONKEY: Please don't kill me, for I think we are related.

PURPLEMONKEY: In your dreams, monkey.

LION: Growl. It's so funny watching you try to be good, but you aren't even good.

BEAR: Please, I think we're related.

MOOSE: (Grrrr) It's fun when I kill people with my own arms. It's so fun. Hehehehe.

ELEPHANT: In your dreams. I'm probably not related to you, but I can pick you up with my elephant trunk, even if you are a thousand pounds. Ha! That shows you, right? I showed 'em right, boys. They're never gonna hurt us again.

NARRATOR: But moose tried to kill one, but didn't get it. Lion tried to kill, but he just couldn't kill his rela - relatant's family. PurpleMonkey tried, but he couldn't kill his family. And they never hurt anybody again. And they all became friends again and they lived happily ever after.

THE END.

*
SONG
We're friends again, we're friends again
It's all better
You're never gonna hurt me again, again again, again
It's all better, it's all better

Now let's go, it's all better
When we're together
It's fine, I'm fine!
It's all better with you.

It's all better, it's all better
With youhoo, yeah

Ya gotta be tough, ya gotta be tough
It's all better, all better today


~Dictated 02-04-05 by Allie, transcribed by Shayna, debuted 02-05-05 to an appreciative audience of one.

Welcome to the world! (The beginning of a beautiful friendship)

Layla Isabel. (Or Isabelle. Or Izabell. TBA.) Eight pounds one ounce, born at 14:43 today with her eyes wide open. She's beautiful, and Mom, Dad, and Big Sister look great... says the infatuated auntie. She squeaked in my arms!



Just click on the thumbnail for the larger version of the photo.

Baby, baby

Jess and Andy are all packed for the hospital. I'm excited and nervous! Unlike the groundhog, if Baby comes with eyes wide open she's not allowed to go back. We want her here too much.